| Cervantite | |
| Category: | Oxide mineral |
| Formula: | Sb3+Sb5+O4 |
| Imasymbol: | Cvn[1] |
| Strunz: | 4.DE.30 |
| System: | Orthorhombic |
| Class: | Pyramidal (mm2) (same H-M symbol) |
| Symmetry: | Pbn21 |
| Unit Cell: | a = 5.43 Å, b = 4.81 Å, c = 11.76 Å; Z = 4 |
| Color: | Yellow to nearly white |
| Habit: | Microscopic acicular crystals; massive |
| Cleavage: | Excellent on, distinct on |
| Fracture: | Conchoidal |
| Mohs: | 4–5 |
| Luster: | Greasy, pearly, earthy |
| Streak: | Pale yellow to white |
| Diaphaneity: | Semitransparent |
| Gravity: | 6.5 |
| Opticalprop: | Biaxial |
| Refractive: | nα = 2.000 nγ = 2.100 |
| Birefringence: | δ = 0.100 |
| Dispersion: | relatively weak |
| References: | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
Cervantite is an antimony oxide mineral with formula Sb3+Sb5+O4 (antimony tetroxide).
It was first described in 1850 for an occurrence in Cervantes, Galicia, Spain, and named for the locality.[4] The mineral was questioned and disapproved, but re-approved and verified in 1962 based on material from the Zajaca-Stolice district, Brasina, Serbia.[3] It occurs as a secondary alteration product of antimony bearing minerals, mainly stibnite.[3]